Notes

Rosea

Voyez Pline, liv. XIX, chap. IX. (L.) — Voici ce passage: Optima (cannabis) alabandica, plagarum pæcipuè usibis. Tria ejus ibi genera: improbatur cortici proximum, aut medullæ: laudatissimum est è medio, quæ mesa vocatur. Secunda mylasea. Quod ad proceritatem quidem attinet, rosea agri Sabini arborum altitudinem æquat; où on voit 1° que Rabelais dit du pantagruélion ce que Pline dit du chanvre; 2° que c’est de ce passage qu’il tiré les termes de mesa et de mylasea; 3° qu’il est trompé en prenant rosea, qui est une espèce de chanvre, pour un nom de lieu.

Feries des Pescheurs

Voy. Pline l XIX. c. IX. Mais Rabelais a eu tort de prendre pour un nom de lieu le mot rosea, qui, dans ce passage de Pline, doit s’entendre d’une espèce de chanvre. La fête des pêcheurs du Tibre avoit lieu au mois de juin, selon Festus.

Rosea

secunda Mylasea. quod ad proceritatem quidem attinet, Rosea agri Sabini arborum altitudinem aequat.

… hemp, which is exceedingly useful for ropes. Hemp is sown when the spring west wind sets in; the closer it grows the thinner its stalks are. Its seed when ripe is stripped off after the autumn equinox and dried in the sun or wind or by the smoke of a fire. The hemp plant itself is plucked after the vintage, and peeling and cleaning it is a task done by candle light. The best is that of Arab-Hissar, which is specially used for making hunting-nets. Three classes of hemp are produced at that place: that nearest to the bark or the pith is considered of inferior value, while that from the middle, the Greek name for which is ‘middles’, is most highly esteemed.
The second best hemp comes from Mylasa. As regards height, the hemp of Rosea in the Sabine territory grows as tall as a fruit-tree.